diff --git a/include/linux/io_uring_types.h b/include/linux/io_uring_types.h
index 7a6b190c7da7..b48570eaa449 100644
--- a/include/linux/io_uring_types.h
+++ b/include/linux/io_uring_types.h
@@ -648,7 +648,7 @@ struct io_kiocb {
 	struct io_rsrc_node		*rsrc_node;
 
 	atomic_t			refs;
-	atomic_t			poll_refs;
+	bool				cancel_seq_set;
 	struct io_task_work		io_task_work;
 	/* for polled requests, i.e. IORING_OP_POLL_ADD and async armed poll */
 	struct hlist_node		hash_node;
@@ -657,6 +657,7 @@ struct io_kiocb {
 	/* opcode allocated if it needs to store data for async defer */
 	void				*async_data;
 	/* linked requests, IFF REQ_F_HARDLINK or REQ_F_LINK are set */
+	atomic_t			poll_refs;
 	struct io_kiocb			*link;
 	/* custom credentials, valid IFF REQ_F_CREDS is set */
 	const struct cred		*creds;
diff --git a/io_uring/cancel.h b/io_uring/cancel.h
index 76b32e65c03c..b33995e00ba9 100644
--- a/io_uring/cancel.h
+++ b/io_uring/cancel.h
@@ -27,10 +27,10 @@ bool io_cancel_req_match(struct io_kiocb *req, struct io_cancel_data *cd);
 
 static inline bool io_cancel_match_sequence(struct io_kiocb *req, int sequence)
 {
-	if ((req->flags & REQ_F_CANCEL_SEQ) && sequence == req->work.cancel_seq)
+	if (req->cancel_seq_set && sequence == req->work.cancel_seq)
 		return true;
 
-	req->flags |= REQ_F_CANCEL_SEQ;
+	req->cancel_seq_set = true;
 	req->work.cancel_seq = sequence;
 	return false;
 }
diff --git a/io_uring/io_uring.c b/io_uring/io_uring.c
index 816e93e7f949..154b25b8a613 100644
--- a/io_uring/io_uring.c
+++ b/io_uring/io_uring.c
@@ -2058,6 +2058,7 @@ static int io_init_req(struct io_ring_ctx *ctx, struct io_kiocb *req,
 	req->file = NULL;
 	req->rsrc_node = NULL;
 	req->task = current;
+	req->cancel_seq_set = false;
 
 	if (unlikely(opcode >= IORING_OP_LAST)) {
 		req->opcode = 0;